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The purpose of the present study was to determine the prevalence of thermophilic Campylobacter in poultry, pork, and beef meat at the retail level and to identify the main categories of meat representing the most significant reservoirs of Campylobacter. A monitoring study was conducted throughout Poland from 2009 to 2013. A total of 1,700 fresh meat samples were collected from supermarkets, large retail outlets, and smaller stores. Thermophilic Campylobacter species were detected in 690 (49.3%) of 1,400 poultry samples collected from retail trade. Strains were isolated from 50.2 and 41.1% of raw chicken and turkey meat samples, respectively, and from 50.1 and 42.6% of raw chicken and turkey giblets. The incidence of Campylobacter spp. on pork (10.6%) and beef (10.1%) was significantly lower than on poultry. Campylobacter jejuni was the most prevalent Campylobacter species in chicken (46.6%), pork (68.6%), and beef (66.7%), and Campylobacter coli was the most frequently isolated Campylobacter species in turkey meat (71.2%). This study revealed that retail raw meats are often contaminated with Campylobacter; however, the prevalence of these pathogens is markedly different in different meats. Raw retail meats are potential vehicles for transmitting foodborne diseases, and our findings stress the need for increased implementation of hazard analysis critical control point programs and consumer food safety education efforts.

Campylobacter-associated gastroenteritis remains an important cause of morbidity worldwide, and some evidence suggests that poultry is an important source of this foodborne infection in humans. This study was conducted to analyze the prevalence and genetic background of resistance of 149 Campylobacter jejuni and 54 Campylobacter coli strains isolated from broiler chicken carcasses and from stool samples of infected children in Poland from 2003 through 2005. Nearly all isolates were susceptible to macrolides and aminoglycosides. The highest resistance in both human and chicken strains was observed for ciprofloxacin (more than 40%), followed by ampicillin (13 to 21%), and tetracycline (8 to 29%). Resistance to ampicillin and tetracycline rose significantly between 2003 and 2005. Slight differences in resistance between human and chicken isolates indicate that although chicken meat is not the only source of Campylobacter infection in our population, it can be involved in the transmission of drug-resistant Campylobacter strains to humans.

The pathogenicity of thermotolerant Campylobacter species, common food-borne pathogens, depends on certain factors unevenly distributed among strains of different origin. The prevalence of such markers has never been examined in a population of Polish Campylobacter strains of human and poultry origin. Therefore, we analysed the presence of the cadF, cdtA, cdtB and cdtC genes and the iam sequence in Campylobacter jejuni (n = 115) and Campylobacter coli (n = 57) isolates from children with diarrhoea and from chicken carcasses. The cadF gene was present in nearly 100% of Campylobacter isolates tested, regardless of their origin or species. In contrast, the iam region was found in 83.3% and 100% of C. coli isolates from children and chickens, respectively, but in only 1.6% and 54.7%, respectively, of C. jejuni isolates. Similarly, the detection rates of cdt genes varied between human and chicken isolates. All three cdt genes were found in nearly all C. jejuni isolates from both children and chickens, but in only 5.6% of human C. coli isolates as compared to 87.2% of chicken C. coli isolates. This different distribution of genetic markers between human and chicken isolates indicates that some Campylobacter infections in children may have additional sources other than contaminated chicken meat.

Previously found DNA sequence (iam), correlated with the invasiveness of Campylobacter strains, became a starting point for present investigation. Main goal of this study was to isolate number of Campylobacter strains from chicken carcasses, to determine their taxonomic position and to establish the presence of iam sequence in their genoms. It was found, that invasion associated marker is present in all Campylobacter coli strains and in majority but not all Campylobacter jejuni. This may confirm the idea that the marker is not only responsible for diarrhea in humans but also may be important in the colonization of chicken guts.

Abstract: This study presents the results of investigations on the susceptibility of Campylobacter spp. strains isolated from chicken meat and giblets to fluorochinolones (ciprofloxacin), macrolides (erythromycin), tetracyclines (tetracycline) and aminoglycosides (gentamicin) andV an analysis of the molecular mechanisms of resistance to the selected antibiotics. Between January 2008 and December 2009 a total of 218 samples of chicken meat and giblets from retail trade in Poland were examined. Campylobacter bacteria were found in 143 samples, that is in 65.6% of the total number embraced by the study. Campylobacter coli was the most ubiquitous – its presence was determined in 108 samples out of 143 (75.5%), whereas Campylobacter jejuni was found in 35 of the contaminated samples (24.5%). The results obtained point to the high percentage (97.9%) of Campylobacter isolates resistant to ciprofloxacin. 92 strains (64.3%) were resistant to tetracycline, 14 (9.1%) to erythromycin and only 9 (6.3%) to gentamicin. Moreover, ten out of the 143 resistant Campylobacter strains (7.0%) were found to be resistant to at least three unrelated antibiotics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]